The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-02-15
THE WHITE RIVER HORROR.
Latest Details From SATURDAYS
Terrible Wreck and HOlO-
cauSt.


them imbedded in the melted ice were
twisted the iron works of four cars, which
had gone down TO destruction, and carried
death 10 most of their occupants Where
they Law re great pools of water, caused
by the melting of the ice by the heat from
The burning cars. The fourth car from
the rear, or one of the day coaches, was en-
tirely destroyed, and what little remained
was hidden beneath the little lake OF water,
upon the suffice of which hoated embers,
bits OF burned clothing and pieces of char
red human q sh.
terdsy, but gang of men will 60 TO work
to-day and will drag the depths for buried
bodies. 1t is though: by some that at leas.
twe1ty. if not more, corpses will be taken
on: from
THIS CHARNEL POOL.
So far as known not, soul escaped from
this car, and il is considered possible that
there may be as many as forty bodies
underneath the debris sunk in this pool
Official inspectors have visited the black
eneI wreck. Upon the Ice in the debri> of
the "Pn-itan" they discovered the remains
of no less than six bodies, ~hich they
could pick out Three were 50 thoroughly
burned that it was impossible to even tell
their sex, and some made scarcely a hand
FIJI. In the next burned car, the Pullman
car st. Alban," which came from
Springfield, they coul 4 only make out
three bodies. They are reduced TO such a
state that ihey could scarcely be discerned
from the rest of the debris. No doubt the
bodies OF many persons were totally con-
sumed.
The third car from the rear, or day car,
was entirely submerged, and no investiga-
ton could be made. The fourth car from
the rear, or the last remaining one, was
next visited. Here was presented the most
horrifying scenes of all. No less than
twelve bundles of burned flesh, chsrred cut
of all human shape, were found
THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION
into the circumstances connected with the
disaster began here this afIernoo and
under the direction OF the board of railroad
commissioners of Vermont, consisting of
Ex-Governor Pengree, of Hartford, as
chairman; Hon. W. Clark, of Rutland, and
Hon. S. o. Fletcher, of st. Johnsbury
The first witness was Charles III. Pierce
He was engineer of the unfortunate train
Nitness testified: al ran the engine while
tic tIdlu WIS uD
as is CUSTOMARY, with the com
bination Baggage and express car
next to the engine, then the COM
bination mail and smoker with the
first passenger car all of which came from
Boston over the Boston & Lowell Road,
then followed the passenger and sleeping
cars from Springfield, the sleeper being
the st. Adams. Attac ned to the rea- of
the train was the Pullman sleeper "pil-
grim" making six cars in all. We shOuld
have left by time table at II 40 a. M, but
were an hour and half late, leaving at
2;l0 a. m. We ran at the regular rate
making up no time before the bridge was
then we slowed up as usual, and
a little more so, the air brake seemed to
take hold better. | applied the air brakes
about three times the length of the train
back from the bridge, which was the usual
place. | never went over the bridge with !
out slowing up; should Judge the speed |
Of the train 20 have been about eight miles |
an hour
NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL
No jar. or jerking of any kind occurred be- |
ore reaching the bridge, or in fact, at any
lime, until my engine came to a stauds:ill. |
was sitting on nay seat, looking ahead, |
when the first unusual thing occurred, |
which was the sound OF the alarm bell from |
he cars We were then about the middle |
If the brid e. 1t struck but once, my hand !
vas within foot of the lever, which APP
plies the air brakes. The bresks we're let
If before reaching the bridge; never work |
team across the bridge. l
spilled nay brakes instantly, but did not
everse my engine at all after applying the
brakes. / looked out of my window then,
,eing about two-thirds OF the way across /
he bridge, and saw the rear pullman of
he train falling from the rear end of the
fridge. In falling, it drew the next three
airs with il, when the ceuplin:s evidently
'roke between the smoker and the first
car"
MRS FAIRBANKS MISSION.
Hartford, VT, Feb Tt is learned
hat Mrs. Horace Fairbanks, wife of Ex-
Governor Fairbanks, of St. Johnsbury, is
n the train, and it is stated that her cloak
nd watch have been found. Mr.. Fair
anks is here looking for the body. An
ther person supposed to be one Of the
Tictims, is III. Z. Hazen, this place.
Mrs. Blaidsell, of Tichury is safe in
Cas-. B Hubbard, of Cambridge,
lass, reported to have been wounded in
ne accident is wanted in Boston for the
of $500. He was on his way
, Canada The following is an addition
list of persons found to be missing and
SUPPOSED TO BE LOST.
Homer Riggs, of Middlebury.
ID. Brooks, of Cornwall, Ont. I
Fred Blair, of Springfield, Mass. 8
DIR. W. F. Clark, the well-knoxn French {
lysician, Laconie, Mass. I
GOING TO THE SCENE
Concord, Feb. flames II. Russell, of
Rhode Island, passed through !
re this morning en- route for the scene v
the Central Vermont railroad disaster,
identify, il possible, the remains of VIM. '
Haroarty of this CITY gho Is known tn